The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity is the premier international conference on microbial pathogenesis. The conference has met biennially since 1972. The 2010 meeting will be held from July 11th -16th at the Waterville Valley Resort in New Hampshire, which is a new site for the conference. The new site will accommodate the student run Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity that will be held the weekend preceding the GRC. This new site also allows the conference to expand the number of attendees by ~ 30, if desired. In the past, applications to attend the GRC have exceeded the capacity of the previous site. The GRC on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity provides a venue for investigators to exchange the most current knowledge on bacterial toxins, microbial pathogenesis, and host response to microbial pathogens. Speakers include established investigators as well as junior investigators of exceptional promise. The conference includes nine seminar sessions. Each session is chaired by a prominent investigator who will present an overview of the session and place the speakers'work in perspective to the session. The session chair will also serve as the discussion leader who will maintain a high level of interaction between attendees and speakers. In addition to the nine seminar sessions, two poster sessions are active throughout the conference. Each attendee is encouraged to present either a talk or a poster. In 2010, the GRC will be preceded by a weekend Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity. The GRS is planned- and attended- by post doctoral fellows and graduate students training in the field of microbial pathogenesis and is organized under the guidance of the GRC chairperson. The GRS on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity provides a forum for scientific interactions among our future principal investigators studying microbial pathogenesis. The 2008 GRS was attended by 39 post-doctoral fellows and graduate students who participated in ten talks and two poster sessions. Several GRS participants will also present their research at the 2010 GRC conference. The Gordon Research Conference on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity is a biennial meeting of the top investigators in the field of microbial pathogenesis. The 2010 conference will be held from July 11th -16th at the Waterville Valley Resort in New Hampshire. Nine seminar sessions and two poster sessions will be presented by leading researchers who will present data on topics related to microbial pathogenesis. A Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity will be held the weekend preceding the main conference. The GRS will be attended by post-doctoral fellows and graduate students who train primarily in NIH- funded academic research laboratories or in international research laboratories. These trainees conduct cutting edge research in the field of microbial pathogenesis and the GRS provides an outstanding opportunity for these trainees to interact as future leaders of our field.